Italian Language Lessons
Grammar, spelling, and usage
Italian Direct Object Pronouns
Workbook Exercises About This Topic
Printer–Friendly Version
A direct object is the direct recipient of the action of a verb.
I invite the boys. Whom do I invite? The boys.
He reads the book. What does he read? The book.
The nouns boys and books are direct objects. They answer the question what? or whom? Verbs that take a direct object are called transitive verbs. Verbs that do not take a direct object (she walks, I sleep) are intransitive.
Direct object pronouns replace direct object nouns.
I invite the boys. I invite them.
He reads the book. He reads it.
In Italian the forms of the direct object pronouns (i pronomi diretti) are as follows:
| SINGULAR |
PLURAL |
| mi me |
ci us |
| ti you (informal) |
vi you (informal) |
| La you (formal m. and f.) |
Li you (form., m.) |
|
Le you (form., f.) |
| lo him, it |
li them (m. and f.) |
| la her, it |
le them (f.) |
A direct object pronoun is placed immediately before a conjugated verb.
Se vedo i ragazzi, li invito. (If I see the boys, I’ll invite them.)
Compra la frutta e la mangia. (He buys the fruit and eats it.)
In a negative sentence, the word non must come before the object pronoun.
Non la mangia. (He doesn’t eat it.)
Perchè non li inviti? (Why don’t you invite them?)
1, 2 | Next page
| Italian Language Study Resources |
| Language Lessons: Italian grammar, spelling, and usage. |
| Audio Phrasebook: Improve your pronunciation and build your vocabulary. |
| Workbook Exercises: Worksheets, drills, activities, and review. |
| Buon Divertimento: Italian jokes, riddles, and puns. |
| Italian Verbs: Formation, moods, tenses, and table of conjugations. |
| Study Guides: Challenge your skills and test your knowledge of various topics. |
| Audio Lab: Word of the day, survival phrases, ABC's, numbers, and conversation. |
Newsletter
